A conventional double-bearing type fishing reel includes a level wind device for uniformly winding a fishing line around a spool which is rotatably supported between left and right side panels. The level wind device may include a fishing line guide configured to reciprocate in a left-right direction in front of the spool in accordance with operation of a handle provided rotatably close to one of the side plates for winding a fishing line. The fishing line is admitted through the fishing line guide and thereby the fishing line can be wound around the spool in parallel.
When casting a fishing tackle, a fishing line contacts the above-described fishing line guide, causing a resistive force which may undesirably reduce a casting distance of the fishing tackle. To address this problem, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-70683 (the “'683 Publication”) discloses a fishing line guide having an upper portion that is longer in a left-right direction and serves as an insertion portion for the fishing line at the time of releasing and a lower portion that has a groove in a narrowed center region serving as a guide for winding the fishing line. The '683 Publication also discloses a pillar that is disposed near the fishing line guide in a front-rear direction and that is movable up and down in accordance with switching operation of a clutch. The pillar may be moved up when a fishing line is released, and moved down when the fishing line is wound. Because the pillar has moved to the upper position, the fishing line is situated at the fishing line insertion portion and the resistive force on the fishing line at the time of releasing can be reduced. In addition, when the pillar is moved to the lower position, the fishing line is guided to the narrow groove and winding of the fishing line around the spool can be improved.
In addition, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-243997 discloses a fishing reel in which a fishing line guide is rotated in accordance with a switching operation of a clutch. In this fishing reel, the fishing line guide is configured to rotate to move toward the front side to let the fishing line situate at the insertion portion when the fishing line is released, and the resistive force on the fishing line can be reduced. Moreover, when the fishing line is wound, the fishing line guide of the fishing reel is configured to rotate to move toward the rear side to let the fishing line situate at the groove while a rear portion of an upper end of the guide hold down the fishing line, and the fishing line goes through the groove to be wound.